The Lebanese man who is suspected of killing Filipina migrant worker Joanna Demafelis and stuffing her remains inside a freezer in Kuwait has been arrested, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

In a statement Friday (February 23), Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said he has informed President Rodrigo Duterte about the arrest of Nader Essam Assaf in Lebanon.

“The President welcomes the news that Nader Essam Assaf is now in the hands of authorities in Lebanon,” Cayetano said. “Assaf’s arrest is a critical first step in our quest for justice for Joanna and we are thankful to our friends in Kuwait and Lebanon for their assistance.”

Assaf and his wife, Mona, have been the subject of an Interpol manhunt after Kuwaiti authorities discovered Demafelis’ body inside a freezer in Kuwait earlier this month.

The freezer was located inside the couple’s abandoned apartment unit more than a year after her family reported her missing.

Cayetano said Kuwaiti authorities relayed news about Assaf’s arrest to Ambassador Renato Villa during the Ministry of Interior’s meeting.

The Kuwaiti government is expected to request the extradition of Assaf so he could stand trial in Kuwait, he added.

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